"Even if we were down 0:2, I believed we could definitely turn it around as long as our mindset remained unbroken. Our team is made up of five top-tier players with outstanding individual skills. As long as we don't make mistakes, we are more than capable of beating Gen.G."

Hanwha Life Esports defeated T1 3:2 in Upper Bracket Round 2 of the 2026 LoL Champions Korea (LCK) Playoffs held at CHZZK LoL Park in Jonggak on September 2. Driven to the brink after helplessly dropping Games 1 and 2, Hanwha Life Esports completed the reverse sweep starting from Game 3 with solid mental fortitude and well-prepared joker picks.

Now, Hanwha Life Esports will face Gen.G Esports for a single direct ticket to the Finals. The winning team will advance straight to the Finals, while the losing team will have to play the final match against the team coming through the Lower Bracket.

Below is the full transcript of the press conference with Head Coach Yoon Sung-young and 'Zeka' Kim Geon-woo following the match against T1.

Q. Today, you claimed a 3:2 comeback victory against T1 to reach the Finals Qualifier. How do you feel about the win?

Head Coach Yoon Sung-young: Although it was a hard-fought 3:2 victory, I feel great that we ultimately secured a comeback win.

'Zeka': I am very happy that we pulled off the comeback win, but I think we need feedback on the mistakes we made in Games 1 and 2. While losing Games 1 and 2 was disappointing, the process of turning it around was very satisfying.

Q. What in-game issues did you identify when you dropped Games 1 and 2?

Head Coach Yoon Sung-young: Game 1 was actually a match I thought we had almost won, but an incident occurred because we extended our turn for too long. In Game 2, we collapsed as the game didn't go according to the plans and setup we had prepared.

'Zeka': In Game 1, it was unfortunate that we failed to track the opponent's early-to-mid game setups properly and couldn't close out the game definitively when we had the advantage. In Game 2, our intended setup fell apart early on, leading to a series of mistakes.

Q. With the set score at 0:2 and your back against the wall, how did you handle feedback and mindset management?

Head Coach Yoon Sung-young: Our win rate against T1 wasn't bad to begin with, so I reassured the players to prepare confidently as we normally do. I believed that even if we were losing, as long as our mindset remained unshaken, we could definitely turn it around.

'Zeka': In a situation where we collapsed heavily like in Games 1 and 2, I didn't think giving lengthy feedback was important. I felt it was better to point out just one or two key issues or keep feedback brief altogether, and instead prepare new, good picks that we excel at. We focused on maintaining our composure rather than dwelling on the review.

Q. (To 'Zeka') It couldn't have been easy to regain your composure after a heavy defeat in Game 2. With what mindset did you enter Game 3?

'Zeka': Fundamentally, I had full confidence that we were better than our opponent. Since the losses in Games 1 and 2 were due to our own mistakes, I believed that if we just corrected those mistakes, we could easily win. I prepared with the mindset that if we drafted well and won Game 3, we could ride the momentum to complete the comeback.

Q. Today you showed jungle Cho'Gath. How do you evaluate Cho'Gath's tier and performance as a champion?

Head Coach Yoon Sung-young: I believe the champion's standalone performance is quite good. When checking the opponent's composition and picks, if the matchup is right, it's a pick that is always well worth utilizing.

Q. Down 0:2, did you completely revamp your pick-and-ban strategy starting from Game 3, or did you stick to your original plan?

Head Coach Yoon Sung-young: Prior to Game 3, I discussed team compositions extensively with the players. Although we lost Game 1 as well, it was a matchup we could have easily won, so we maintained the core framework we had prepared while communicating with the players to craft a comfortable composition for them.

Q. (To 'Zeka') Many evaluate that in the recent mid-lane meta, gold income is tight, making it difficult for a mid laner to carry the game single-handedly. Nevertheless, you turned the match around with overwhelming prowess in Games 3 and 4. How would you rate your performance today?

'Zeka': In both Games 3 and 4, the draft provided the perfect environment for me to carry. Since the team comps set up a stage where I could excel, I simply fulfilled my role on that well-prepared stage and had fun playing.

Q. In the final Game 5, you picked Caitlyn first overall. What was the intention behind that?

Head Coach Yoon Sung-young: Securing Caitlyn with the first pick was the core strategy for Game 5 today. We had prepared beforehand for all scenarios—both taking Caitlyn and not getting her—and fortunately, we were able to blind-pick her as planned, allowing us to play out the game in our intended matchup structure.

Q. How did you assess the opponent's decision to hand over Cassiopeia and build their draft around that?

Head Coach Yoon Sung-young: From their perspective, with Lulu and Rakan unavailable, they likely felt it was a good spot to run Lucian-Milio and made that choice. However, our team has a very high win rate with Cassiopeia compositions, and above all, 'Zeka' plays Cassiopeia exceptionally well, so utilizing Cassiopeia led to a great result.

Q. We understand there were deep concerns regarding the support position during the regular season. How did you view the performance of 'Delight' Yoo Hwan-joong, who went through today's full five-game battle?

Head Coach Yoon Sung-young: 'Delight' Yoo Hwan-joong is already a player with exceptional skill, and his recent form has improved even further. The previous roster change was also a process driven by the team's growth and needs. Today, not only 'Delight' but all 5 players performed their respective roles perfectly, which allowed us to win. I would like to express my gratitude to the players.

Q. Now a matchup against Gen.G Esports awaits with a direct ticket to the Finals on the line. How do you plan to prepare?

Head Coach Yoon Sung-young: Our team consists of 5 top-tier players with outstanding individual prowess. As long as we don't commit in-game mistakes ourselves, we are fully capable of winning against Gen.G. Since Gen.G and we know each other so well, we will review today's match to minimize errors and focus on refining our drafts and game details.

Q. Lastly, please share your determination heading into Round 3.

Head Coach Yoon Sung-young: While it's unfortunate that we helplessly dropped Games 1 and 2 today, we will make thorough adjustments so that we can show fans a much better performance in the upcoming match against Gen.G.

'Zeka': I believe today's full five-game match served as great nourishment on our journey to the Finals. By polishing the areas that need improvement from today's games, we will achieve a better result in the next match against Gen.G and definitely advance to the Finals.